Wednesday, March 21, 2012

WoT Map Analysis: Komarin

Each map in World of Tanks has some optimal places for tanks to go. No strategy is perfect and often times player skill rules, but a good strategy followed by a platoon can often times swing things in your favor. This series will hopefully lay out some ground work and give ideas on how best to tackle a map by analyzing the standard game play for each map.

A unique map in that the teams do not start near the flags, Komarin offers multiple tactical options. The teams start in the north and south, divided by rivers offering three routes. The center route is a large, elevated, and wooded island connected by bridge to the south, and offers firing positions to nearly the entire map, but at the cost of being exposed if spotted. Recently Czech hedgehogs (tank stopping iron obstacles) have be added, these need a heavy tank to hit them at speed or HE shells to crush them. A small village on both the west and east side of the map offer attackers valuable cover en route to the flag, but leave any tank passing the village exposed to covered and concealed defenders once they leave the village.

Komarin is unique from most other maps in the sense that teams do not split foraces to take on flanks or routes, instead they split into offensive forces and defensive forces. Knowing the proper balance and which tanks fit the roles better will make or break your stand on this map, too weak of a defense and a quick-cap will end the game, while an over powered defense will lead to being flanked through your own capture zone. If nothing else, knowing a proper division of forces and changing your plan to fit the needs of the team will change the odds of success dramatically.

Focusing first on the defense, primarily suited for heavies, especially the US heavies with their thick turrets, and the occasional TD; areas in the north and south grant excellent cover as well as hull down positions. In the north, the red lines, areas just behind the road and before the bridge offer excellent cover as well as perfect sight lines into the defensive capture zone and beyond. Typical views can reach on top of the hill overlooking the island as well as to the white buildings before the capture zone. To the south, the blue lines, again areas behind the road and just beyond the bridge behind the shrubs provide excellent concealment while given sight lines into the village boarding the defensive capture zone. Both of these positions can be defended fairly effectively by about a quarter of the forces, particularly if they consist of heavies with excellent turret armor and decent gun depression.

On the offensive side of the battlefield, advancing into the villages and buildings outside of the capture zones will be your game plan. The north end advancing south will be able to navigate the building in the village and the hill to provide protection from the center island. To the south, advancing into the white buildings and the hill will allow sight lines into the center island and offering more protecting that the hill for the northern side. Both sides, once established, will have to duke it out against the defenders or swarm them in order to secure the capture zone. TDs will work wonders as snipers while mediums move up and take ground from the supporting fire, SPGs will provide additional support to soften up the defenders and allow for a capture to occur.

The final section is often regarded as more of a death trap, and takes a heavy tank to access. The island can provide fire support to any area of the map and does offer decent cover, but being in the center of the map, anything and everything can return fire or catch you trying to cross the bridges. Use of the center island should be taken carefully and used sparingly, a major push through here will often result in a bottle neck, but if done properly, this can provide a quick route to attack the rear of forces or sweep into the deployment zone and over run SPGs. The SPGs are advised to use the wooded areas marked by the triangles for the base of operation. These areas offer complete concealment and access to hit defenders with easy and attackers with a bit of skill. SPGs here can make all the difference as they can quickly dispatch the defenders, allowing for a successful capture, as well as slow down any assaulting force.

Effectively plan around this analysis, use the route to your advantage to best take on what tanks to expect in each area, and always support where areas are lightly defended but be ready to reenforce as needed. With a good platoon at your side, and now knowing this map better, a skilled team can hold out against the tides of enemy armor while their own wave sweeps over for a crushing victory.